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I Hate This (a play without the baby) by David Hansen

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  • Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend:
    25 Apr. 2021
    “ I don't have enough compliments for this play. It begins with a couple 30 weeks pregnant being told no heartbeat can be detected, and then it alternates between moving forward in time and returning to that day, preparing to give birth. It is beautiful and heartbreaking. One moment that got me was the observation that we use language to understand our world, but there is no word for parents of a dead child, so you don't understand who you are. So much weighty stuff articulated perfectly. I am going to be thinking about this play for a long time. ”
  • Donna Hoke:
    6 May. 2020
    “ People need this play to learn how to help parents who've lost infants, people those parents alone knew and loved. Kudos to David for sharing so much truth and pain in an effort to share awareness. ”
  • Ricardo Soltero-Brown:
    30 Apr. 2020
    “ This is a very, very good play. Of the highest, most extraordinary standard. I'd like to recommend, now, a drama, sincerely as I can. Hansen forgoes a procedural account of tragedy, instead he structures a journey of mythic quality through grief and terror without sacrificing any elements of objectivity or subjectivity but, in fact, makes full use of both by linking specific moments in time by their sentiment or subtext, observing the various players and stages of a nightmare odyssey, revisiting them, even reimagining them, yes, dramatizing them, noting the excesses of fancy and reality. The fountain, the sparrow. Unforgettable. ”
  • Jean Koppen:
    18 Mar. 2020
    “ This is an absolutely lovely read and I imagine a beautiful play to see performed. It doesn't wallow in the heartache, but guides you lovingly through the sorrow of a man grieving his loss in a real, everyday way. There is pain, but you're not bogged down by it. You are welcomed into it. Wonderfully written and open to creative staging and powerful acting. Most of all, this play is pure, raw heart. ”
  • John Busser:
    16 Sep. 2019
    “ Beautiful in it's reading, I can't imagine how powerful it would be to see it performed. I was frustrated at the inevitable outcome, knowing it wouldn't change, but hoping somehow that it would before the last page. Although I've never experienced anything like the tragedy David and Toni did, it resonated with me personally. A true insight into how we cope with loss. Highly recommended! ”
  • Steven G. Martin:
    6 Apr. 2019
    “ Applaud Hansen (rightfully so) for the structure, the dialogue, and the theatricality of "I Hate This (A Play Without the Baby)", but it's the range of emotions that leave the lasting impact.

    We watch David, the character, struggle to navigate and re-orient himself as he understands there are no rules -- range of emotions, people's responses, length of time -- to grieving. It's a humane play. ”
  • Asher Wyndham:
    3 Jun. 2018
    “ You'll feel the range of emotions of complex mourning that this man goes through. You may be a parent who has never experienced a loss like David's, you may never experience this because you don't want kids, but this is still a play for you - a play that will fill your heart - in the end it doesn't deflate it - because it's that acceptance of loss and the love - genuine, holy love - that comes with that is something we can relate to - and connects us to one another. Highly recommended for solo festivals. ”
  • C. Julian Jiménez:
    18 Apr. 2018
    “ Wow. Beautiful in its simplicity and heart-breaking to read (and I'm sure even harder to watch). A powerful piece for a gifted actor. Gorgeous and raw writing. ”
  • Matthew Weaver:
    11 Apr. 2017
    “ Gut-wrenching, heartbreaking and well-told. Hansen shines a light on one of the worst experiences a family can endure, and lays it all on the line. He puts his feelings entirely on the stage, a pure act of intimacy. Very hard to read or watch, I imagine, but that's nothing compared to what it must have been to live and to write. A story that's important to tell, to show others they're not alone. A hug to Hansen, because the words don't exist to console. Raw, unflinching and real. ”